Union suit.



H. L. NELKE.

UNION SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2|, 1914.

Patented Oct. 17,1916.

HERBERT L. NELKE, QF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

UNION SUIT.

Specification of-Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed April 21, 1914. Serial No. 833,450.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT L. NELKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. have invented certain Improvements in Union Suits, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to produce a novel form of womens under-garment of the union suit or combination type which may be put on like a skirt; 2'. 6., either down wardly over the head or upwardly over the feet and legs. it being especially desired that said garment shall possess all the advantages of a one-piece skirted garment and be closed all around.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment in which that .portionwhich is between the legs shall be soft and elastic so as to give or flex while the wearer is walking thus preventing irritation of the skin.

These objects and other advantages which will be mentioned hereinafter-I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively front and rear elevations of my improved garment; Figs. 3 and 4 are a vertical and a horizontal section taken respectively on the lines aa and 6-?) Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a modified form of a detail of my invention; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified arrangement of certain of the parts.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the main or body portion of a garment which is preferably made of a tubular knitted fabric andhas a skirt 2 formed by a continuation of the upper section 3. In that form of a garment shown in F igs. 1 to 3, this skirt is made full by the insertion in its rear part of a gusset 4 preferably of extremely elastic material, as shown in Fig. 2. This is done by splitting the skirt upwardly from the bottom and then sewing the gussetto the edges thus formed. I

A flap or. partition 5 of soft elastic and preferably knitted material has one end secured by stitching or other means to the rear portion of the skirt and its other end detachably' secured by buttons or other securs ing means 6 to the front portion of the skirt insuch manner that when in service it will extend across said skirt and formleg spaces or holes 7 as shown in Fig. 4. When desired the flap 5 may be readily released by unbuttoning its detachable end and allowing it to drop into the position shown in dotand-dash lines in Fig. 3. lVhen the flap is in this latter position the garment maybe put on over the head of the wearer, after which the free end of said flap is drawn between the legs and buttoned.

When the garment is to be put on by pulling it up over the feet and legs it is not necessary to unbutton the flap 5 since the neck portion is sufliciently large to pass the legs and body of the wearer; the garment in this case being put on like any ordinary bifurcated nether garment, after which the shoulder straps 15 may be pulled up into place on the shoulders.

- A garment made in accordance with my invention will have all the advantages of a one-piece skirted garment and none of the disadvantages of the ordinary bifurcated union suit which is open at front or rear, or which is closed by overlapped portions necessarily causing discomfort to the wearer. Moreover the flap or partition will not bind at the crotch since it normally hangs below the same.

Instead of having the flap or partition 5 made of a separate piece stitched to the skirt as above described, it may be made in one piece with the gusset 4 as shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 6 the flap 5 is shown buttoned on the outside of the skirt as may be preferable in cases where it is desired that the bottom of the skirt shall be drawn toward the body of the wearer.

' Much trouble has hitherto been occasioned in union suits as ordinarily made on account of the crotch portion being too tight or too' loose for the wearer and up to the present time it has been impractical for manufacturers to make a sufficient number of sizes of garments to provide a comfortable fit in every case. In my invention the flap 5 is so positioned that it will not interfere either with the comfort or the fit of the garment even though the measurements of the wearer vary considerably from the normal.

A union suit made from a tubular knitted fabric consisting of-a split body portion having a gusset of relatively elastic material inserted to form a skirt; with an elastic flap detachably connecting opposite portions, of

5 the skirt and forming a partition to extend between the legs of the wearer.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my HERBERT L. NELKE.

Witnesses:

AUGUSTUS B. COPPES, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

